San Diego Space Society

(No, I’m not that slow at counting the ballots, just tardy in reporting them.)

At the April 14th, 2008 general meeting, we voted unanimously to ratify our chapter bylaws. Officers were also elected, with unanimous votes for Jesse Clark (president), Dave Dressler (treasurer), and Chris Radcliff (secretary). Officers will serve a one-year term, with elections held again this time next year.

These mark the last two steps needed to become a legit NSS chapter, so we’re official! Thanks to all the members who showed up to vote, and congratulations, everyone!

Our Yuri’s Night party was a success! Over 50 people ate, drank, and were entertained by Francis French’s excellent talk about Yuri Gagarin and Scott Borden’s exciting presentation on Virgin Galactic. James Pura of UCSD SEDS served as MC for the evening, and all went off without a hitch.

More photos (by kind permission of Gerry Williams) after the jump. My thought for next year: “We’re going to need a bigger room.”

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SD Space is starting off with a blast, and you’re invited! Our very first Yuri’s Night Party is this weekend.

When: Saturday, April 12th from 6-9pm
Where: Killer Pizza From Mars
3772 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA [map]
How much: $10 suggested donation

Special guests include Francis French of the San Diego Air & Space Museum and Scott Borden from Virgin Galactic, plus members of the Mars Society, the Moon Society, and SEDS.

Yuri’s Night is like the St Patrick’s Day or Cinco de Mayo for space. It’s held every year to commemorate the first human in space, Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, and the first Space Shuttle launch on April 12, 1981. It is one day when all the world can come together and celebrate the power and beauty of space and what it means for each of us.

Killer Pizza From Mars is a great place to party; it’s family-friendly, their pizza is really good, and every surface is covered with space photos, movie posters, and spaceship models. Come and have fun with us!

Please RSVP so we know how much pizza to order.

The San Diego Space Society needs you! We’re holding elections for four members of the Board of Directors. Each post lasts for one year; see the chapter bylaws for board member responsibilities.

To nominate someone (or yourself) as a candidate, post the nomination to our mailing list with the following format:

I nominate [person's full name as it should appear on the ballot] as a member of the board of directors.

Nominations must be submitted before May 3rd in order to be on the ballot. (I need time to print the things up!)

Elections will be held at the May general meeting, currently scheduled for May 11th at 3:00pm. See the elections page for more information on the elections and how to vote.

Virgin Galactic and Google have teamed up to create Project Virgle, the first privately-funded Mars colony:

Earth has issues, and it’s time humanity got started on a Plan B. So, starting in 2014, Virgin founder Richard Branson and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be leading hundreds of users on one of the grandest adventures in human history: Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars.

They’re off to a great start, and they’re asking you to participate. Submit a short video to the Project Virgle page on Youtube, and you might just get picked!

Gerry just sent a message from Dennis Mammana’s Sky Information newsletter:

Tonight (March 25) is your last chance to spot the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-123) and the International Space Station (ISS) before the Shuttle lands tomorrow.

STS-123 undocked from the station last night, and tonight the pair will appear as two star-like satellites moving together (within seconds of each other) from southwest to northeast. For viewers in Southern California they will pass nearly overhead around 8:08 p.m. PDT.

To get exact times for your area, check out this new website: http://spaceweather.com/flybys/ Just plug in your Zip Code and you’ll know when and where to look.

More details after the jump. I’ll be outside with Ben looking up tonight!

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The San Diego Space Society needs you! We’re holding elections for chapter officers, including the president, treasurer, and secretary. Each post lasts for one year; see the chapter bylaws for the responsibilities of each office.

Candidates must be members of the National Space Society as well as the San Diego chapter. To nominate someone (or yourself) as a candidate, post the nomination to our mailing list with the following format:

I nominate [person's full name as it should appear on the ballot] to the office of [president/treasurer/secretary].

Once nominated, candidates are encouraged to submit a short bio or statement to the list so everyone can get to know you. Nominations must be submitted before April 5th in order to be on the ballot. (I need time to print the things up!)

Elections will be held at the next general meeting, currently scheduled for April 13th at 3:00pm. You must be a member of the San Diego chapter to vote; use our spiffy new membership form if you haven’t already joined. If you can’t attend the April meeting, send email to secretary@sandiegospace.org by April 5th requesting an absentee ballot by mail.

Questions? Post them to the mailing list or send them to secretary@sandiegospace.org.

We want to find space enthusiasts all around San Diego, so we’ve set up a presence on two social networks, Myspace and Facebook. If you’re on either, please friend our Myspace page or join our Facebook group, and be sure to tell all your friends about us.

A few members of SD Space, The Mars Society - San Diego, Moon Society, and SEDS met at Killer Pizza From Mars, the venue for the upcoming Yuri’s Night Party. All agreed that the place will be perfect for food, fun, music, and presentations; the space-themed decorations alone are worth the trip, and a big-screen TV will be used for space video and party music. The room easily holds 70 or more, so invite anyone that might be interested. If you haven’t had a chance to RSVP for the event, please do. It’ll be a night to remember!

The San Diego Space Society is now accepting memberships via a simple online form. Membership allows you to vote in the upcoming chapter elections, and entitles you to the spiffy quarterly newsletter, the As Yet Unnamed. Membership dues are only $20 a year. Join the SDSS today!